


They Didn't Fall

by AeeDee



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Age Difference, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Jealousy, M/M, Polyamory, Secret Relationship, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 04:47:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/948793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeeDee/pseuds/AeeDee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yj_anon_meme/">YJ anon meme</a> prompt, asking for a threesome. Logically <i>this</i> is where my brain went.  I tried to approach the idea realistically, to portray them as a closed polyamorous relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Didn't Fall

They didn’t fall in love at the same time.

Dick and Wally were childhood friends; they’d been so connected to each other for so long, that when they began to feel tell-tale stirrings of deeper affection, neither of them realized how significant any of them were until they stumbled into sudden hand-holding and accidental kissing and hugs that lingered for longer than were appropriate.

Their incredibly strong bond was the one everybody knew about. They were so close, so in tune with each other, so aware and conscious of each other that everyone just sort of knew they were in love. Even their mentors had started to make impolite jokes, before the boys finally had to confess their embarrassing secret that yes, they were kind of a _thing_ and _please don’t make a big deal about it_.

Dick and Wally were the obvious pair. They were the visible couple. And their friends, for the most part, were okay with it. They’d get a few mean-spirited jokes if they played it up too much or got too giddy around each other, but that was to be expected. That was _normal_.

To everyone else, they were so painfully normal, that even when they’d have their disagreements, their mentors would give comments like, _You kids,_ with a pat on the shoulder and a trite piece of outdated advice. Their friends would tell them it’d be fine, with comments like, _Just talk it out_ or _I’m sure it’s not that big a deal,_ and they’d shrug it off. Because they were normal, and all of their problems were perfectly normal for kids their age.

Except that their actual concerns were far from common, or ordinary. These were the conversations they’d only speak in private.

“You’re gonna get caught,” Wally is telling him. “They’re gonna see you. They’re gonna see you, and they’re gonna come to me about it.”

“So what if they do?” Dick hisses back at him.

“Do you have any idea how _awkward_ that is for me? They’re gonna expect me to… _react_.”

“So? React, then,” he shrugs.

“You don’t understand,” Wally shakes his head, “I can’t lie like that. I’m not like you-”

“Hey-”

“I’m not like _him_.”

They both stop, and stare at each other. There’s a painful truth beneath all of this. It was always the same one. But like always, this was just the tip of the iceberg. This was just a faint glimpse of it.

“You don’t have to be,” Dick reassures him, as he traces his fingers up the sides of his face, pausing in motion, intently and calmly noticing his warmth, pressing his palms flat against his jaw. “You’re always gonna _be_ with me, okay?”

Wally nods in silence.

“Nobody’s asking you to… do anything differently.”

Wally nods again, but there’s a heaviness in his eyes.

And Dick, too; he feels it. He shares it. But when he speaks, he’s careful not to let too much of his guilt show. “If we ever get caught... he’ll take the fall. He’s accepted that.”

Wally’s shrugging it off, but he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like it at all. He just bites his lip, and falls silent as Dick pulls him closer, arms draped around his shoulders. “I know you feel bad, but...”

“I feel terrible,” he admits, his voice low. “It’s not fair-”

“Yeah,” but Dick laughs a little, “That’s what we get for doing this in the first place. We’re a bunch of idiots.”

But in the empty silence lingering after his response, neither of them laugh, or smile. They just remain still, as Dick’s arms wind themselves a little tighter around him, and Wally moves deeper into his embrace.

-

They didn’t fall in love at the same time.

Wally felt a rush, the very first time he met Roy. He was _Speedy_ back then, but they didn’t meet in costume. Unlike the first time he met Dick as the _Boy Wonder_ —complete with an intimidating Batman looming over his shoulder—Roy was _just_ Roy Harper, a boy who lived a few streets away, and would occasionally pass by his house on the way to run various errands. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew he walked with a sense of urgency, and never even stopped to say hello. He barely seemed to incline Wally’s occasional wave.

But there was something about him. Something that captured his interest, even if he couldn’t ever pinpoint exactly what it was.

So when he saw him in costume, he recognized him immediately. There was no fooling him; none. He’d been watching too closely. He’d been observing too much; noting too many details in how he moved, how he carried himself, and even the slight expressions he’d make. Even with his eyes obscured, there was no disguising that familiar grimace, the familiar sigh, and even the occasional grin.

And when Wally happened to slide from a roof awning and break his leg on his collision with the ground, Roy was the first one to respond. He was there, lifting him carefully, cautiously, even if he wasn’t entirely sure of what to do from there. But Wally was so surprised, so pleasantly surprised that he didn’t even think about it, he just kissed him, kissed him right on the mouth.

And while Roy was staring at him in a kind of quiet awe, and when Wally could hear Dick’s loud voice in the background, calling for him out of genuine concern, Wally felt a unique turn in his stomach.

“Yeah, we’re kind of… together,” Wally later admitted, when it was just him and Roy sitting in his room, his leg freshly bandaged up.

“Kids these days,” Roy shook his head. “It’s not polite to do that, you know.”

“To do what?” Wally asked, in a half-laugh.

“To just kiss someone else-”

“I _know_ ,” Wally was whining, as he closed his eyes and nervously pressed his hands together, “butIgotcarriedawayokay.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Roy said calmly. “It’s inconsiderate.” He stood up then, as if to leave, as Wally opened his eyes with some alarm.

He was watching him calmly step away; Roy was turning towards the door, and Wally protested, “Wait.” When Roy looked back, Wally’s voice was weak and defeated, “Please.”

“Why,” his calm question.

His voice was tiny and fragile, “I like you.”

Roy’s eyes were widening; slowly…

“I know I shouldn’t. But I do.”

-

They didn’t fall in love at the same time.

Their mentors were familiar acquaintances for many years; that was all Dick knew, when he first met _Speedy_. His initial impression wasn’t great. He didn’t know anything about him, except that he seemed annoyed at everything that anyone did. Dick assumed he had a bad attitude, but it didn’t take much time for him to realize that sometimes, Speedy just had bad days-

And Speedy’s name was Roy. As it turned out, Roy was not a bad kid.

He was clever, and witty. He was funny, when he wanted to be. He was arrogant because he was brilliant and savvy, just like him. He was talented and ambitious. They started to train together, because Dick was both perceptive _and_ smart enough to evaluate Roy’s skill fairly. Dick didn’t know a thing about arrows, but he knew the laws of physics, gravity, and velocity. He knew how to make something like an arrow fly, and how to make it land in its proper place.

And when Dick had to become a better fighter in combat, Roy was a brawler. He knew how to grapple, how to dodge a swift hit, how to retaliate with a lesser force that would create a strong impact. And even if it didn’t seem like it now, Roy was also a scrawny kid once, just like him; he was the kid that taught Dick how to fight, when Batman was too preoccupied with other things-

Which happened often. They found themselves alone increasingly, more and more as time wore on. Even after Dick forged a strong connection with Wally, he’d always find time for Roy. Because as much as he adored Wally, Roy was infectious to be around, in his own unique way. He was inspiring and complicated and _amazing_.

On most days, Dick felt pretty lucky. He had two great friends in the world, and truth be told, both of them were _incredible_. They were supportive and kind and helpful and clever and fun in their own completely different ways, different ways that each complimented his life perfectly.

So when Wally confessed that he liked him, Dick didn’t protest at all. He didn’t feel uncertain about his mutual feelings for him, not for one minute. Most of the time, it wasn’t a problem.

Except for when he’d spend time alone with Roy, and he’d have to stop himself from gushing about anything they’d done together. Because discussions about Wally always made Roy agitated, and that only made him feel guilty, and-

When Roy murmured a quiet, “I like you too, you know,” it killed him inside.

And when Roy left for the night, he kissed Dick in a hurry and promptly apologized, before he closed the door behind him.

-

They didn’t fall in love at the same time.

But when Dick kissed Wally, and Wally accidentally kissed Roy, and Roy finally worked up the nerve to kiss Dick, well.

They didn’t fall in love at the same time. But in their own different and unique ways, they fell.

-

As the current situation stood, Dick is naked in Roy’s bed, half-asleep as he curled himself around a large pillow, pleasantly dozing off. He’s hearing funny noises, a familiar groaning from a few feet away, but he’s not interested; he’s too tired to be interested. He pays idle attention to make sure he doesn’t miss anything too exciting, but his open eyes start to close as his exhaustion makes the whole endeavor not worth his effort.

Wally’s groaning, gently thrusting his hips upwards as his fingers grasp into the sheets, his eyes shut tight and his lips curled into a grimace of pleasure and pain, that familiar sore ache as he moans again, his voice breaking halfway through into a series of weak pants.

A firm hand slides up his thigh, creating a slight friction, teasing him on purpose. Slow and deliberate-

“God, _Roy_ ,” Wally murmurs, a kind of desperate curse, “You’re being mean,” as he glances up towards the man perched above his legs, as his tongue is playfully pressing against the head of his very erect cock.

Roy withdraws it back into his mouth with a faint grin, “I’m sorry.” But his genuine amusement says otherwise, as Wally grumbles at him, “Come _on_ , you jerk.”

“What’s the rush,” Roy murmurs, as he starts to lick lightly up the shaft, tracing a particular groove he finds along the way.

Wally shivers; “I’m already too hard,” he curses. “I _hate_ being the last one-”

“Then we’ll change the order next time,” a calm murmur, as he goes down again, this time enveloping the entire length of his cock inside his mouth, and repositions a firm hand at its base, massaging gently as Wally immediately tenses and starts to grind his teeth, his hips rocking forward. He starts to tremble as he continues to thrust, slowly and deeply fucking Roy’s mouth as his tongue curls around him, strokes and massages, and those fingers are rubbing and pressing and grasping and-

Wally’s breathing grows increasingly rapid and frantic, as he starts to feel a climax building, that tense pressure. He hates that he’s going to come _this_ fast, but it’s Roy’s fault for being such a tease, and it’s Roy’s fault for being so damn _skilled_ at this and-

From where he’s been sleeping for the past several minutes, Dick opens his eyes slowly and gradually, as he witnesses the sight of Wally reaching an orgasm, his mouth hanging open in a desperate pant, his eyes closed and rolling back, his hands sensually stroking the sheets. Dick can hear the wet, vulgar sounds of Roy licking him clean, and he _knows_ what he’s doing because Roy is a creature of habit, and Roy _loves_ to clean his partner’s parts and messes’ with his tongue.

Dick yawns slightly, as he decides that no, this still isn’t worth his attention, and he rolls back over and tries to re-attempt sleep.

-

For what it’s worth, Dick’s not a fan of oral sex. It’s just not his thing. It was something he’d tried and failed to enjoy, similar to how Wally had tried penetrative sex and found it to be- well, just too intrusive.

Dick happens to _love_ penetrative sex. It’s indecent and it makes him terribly irresponsible for a preteen, but as soon as he sees Roy starting to spread lube onto his hands, he’s overwhelmed with a surge of excitement, like a child on Christmas morning. His eyes light up; his entire world lights up, because he knows he’s going to be fucked, and goddammit there is nothing better.

Well, there are a _few_ things. But right now he’s so horny he honestly doesn’t care.

They would take it nice and slow, when they first started doing this. But following that, mainly driven by Dick’s own enthusiasm for wanting to raise his endurance, and wanting to up his tolerance as much as he could, it hadn’t taken them long to reach _this_ point.

He’s sprawled in Roy’s lap, their tongues exploring each other’s mouths as he rocks over him slowly, frowning in pleasure as he can feel that massive cock inside him, as he can feel it sliding and pushing in with every roll of his hips, and every time he gasps with pleasure, his entire body shakes, and Roy reacts, his cock twitching and noticeably moving and swelling.

He’s warm; he’s so warm. There’s a heat between their bodies, their hands roaming freely, mouths crushed together, eyes closing, Dick’s fingers dragging through Roy’s hair and Roy’s strong hands at his back, repositioning themselves towards his hips as Dick continues to rock himself back and forth, gradually upping his speed as he starts to moan and pant with an increasing frequency.

Roy kisses him one time, solidly on the mouth, and gives an affirmative, “Okay,” as he leans away slightly, and gradually lays down, his back pressing flat against the bed as Dick remains poised on top of him, a smile spreading across the boy’s face as he realizes what he can now do. His _favorite_ thing.

He’s gonna ride Roy until he’s _raw_.

Roy’s firmly holding onto his hands, frowning to himself as he gasps for air in silence, breathing hard and heavy with a surprising lack of sound. But that’s a signature style for Roy; he’s silent when he’s really close, and with the way Dick’s riding him for dear life, pounding his cock into him as fast and deep as those agile legs and hips can manage, it’s a miracle he’s able to last for more than a few minutes.

Dick’s growling, and Roy curses as he starts to cum, a guttural “ _Fuck_ ,” as he comes and sees his lover’s entire expression change, from pained pleasure to an incredible joy, as he smiles and almost laughs out loud, writhing as he enjoys the feeling of how warm Roy is, and the sound of that curse, and the look on his face-

And it’s not long before Dick comes, with a few significant sprays of ejaculate landing across Roy’s stomach, the furthest of which reaching his chest, decorating it sparingly.

And Dick gives a slow, deep sigh as he comes down, and gives a slight yawn to himself.

That makes Roy laugh a little. “You’re cute.”

Dick replies in a tiny voice, and a shy smile, “Thank you.”

-

Wally’s more sentimental than Dick. While Dick can be appeased for days after a round of good sex, Wally doesn’t _just_ want that. They both enjoy heavy doses of affection, but Wally wants to experience the small moments more so than just the passion.

So tonight, Roy’s having him over for an old fashioned movie night.

He wanted to take him out, but they couldn’t decide where to go. It was getting difficult, these days. Ever since they started mingling so heavily with the League, it wasn’t just about being two boys on a date anymore; it was about being _these_ two boys on a date, when one of them was publically in a relationship with someone else.

Of course that was only half-true, but... Neither of them wanted to initiate the difficult, potentially awful task of bringing anyone up to date on the complete story.

Besides, Roy knew it would all come down hard on him, anyway. He was the oldest, so he’d have to take the blame. And he would, honorably. But he wasn’t looking forward to becoming a human sacrifice anytime soon. He would die for his boys, but he wasn’t about to eagerly volunteer.

Wally likes going on dates, even if it’s just in Roy’s stuffy apartment. Dick’s usually the more bold one to always suggest going somewhere in public, but Wally just likes an excuse to curl up in his lap and kiss him during television commercials while they catch up on random episodes from the week. Wally likes to comment during the programs, and he’s happy when it’s just him and Roy, because Roy treats his comments intelligently; he doesn’t just laugh and dismiss him, the way Dick often does.

But on the other hand, Dick gets a lot of jokes that fly over Roy’s head. They all know that. God knows he’s been teased enough for it.

Right now, Wally’s giggling to himself, as he grabs another handful of popcorn and happily devours it. Roy looks at him somewhat curiously, perplexed at the strange sounds coming from him. But he doesn’t fight the grin that comes onto his face, even as he shakes his head. And when Wally tries to explain it, Roy can’t pretend that he gets the joke.

But that’s okay. That’s alright; Wally’s not offended. He appreciates that Roy even tries, because this is _absolutely_ not his kind of show, and he knew beforehand that it wasn’t his kind of humor either.

But he’s watching it anyway, because Roy always does what Wally wants. There’s never been a time when he acted otherwise, apart from the rare few disagreements between his will and what Dick wanted, and even then, it’s always a fair chance as to who’ll win. Sometimes, when Roy’s feeling up to the challenge, he’ll try to find a compromise to satisfy them both.

Sometimes that involves having sex with both of them at the same time, in different ways; sometimes it’s just a matter of hugging them both, each for the exact amount of time they prefer, before he leaves for the night. He gives each one the exact kind of kiss they prefer, and says the same familiar things that each of his lovers has grown accustomed to.

It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Not to him. He’s no fool; he’s heard the horror stories. He knows that everyone else believes this should, and would end in failure.

But right now, it doesn’t feel like it. When Wally pauses in his laughter, and he’s just sitting there smiling peacefully, Roy happens to think to himself, that Wally, in his own way, is just as beautiful as Dick. He’s not nearly as confident, which is a pity, but he’s kind-faced and expressive. His eyes are bright and his lips are sexy and his freckles are the most goddamned adorable thing he’s seen.

So he indulges this side of him for once, and he gives a prompt, firm kiss to the side of his face.

And when Wally looks at him and blushes, Roy says not a word. He just smiles back.

-

Wally does genuinely enjoy his time with Dick. He has a way of missing Roy when he’s not around, but it’s undeniable that the old, somehow _still_ alive butterflies he felt for his friend all those years ago were still there in his chest. If anything, they’d only multiplied in time. He couldn’t deny that even when he happened to see Dick having sex with Roy, there was something erotic and incredible about it, even when he was jealous that he wasn’t involved, even when he wanted time with one of them for himself-

That was all just petty nonsense. He knew better. He knew that when Dick spent these evenings with him, he genuinely enjoyed himself. He knew that when Roy held and kissed _him_ specifically, it was because he thought only of him, in that moment. He trusted that. He believed in that.

But to him, it’d never felt entirely right to go on dates like this, just the two of them. It felt like he was committing a crime, because a significant part of their companionship was not here. They were missing someone that was incredibly important, even if he did alter their dynamic, even if he did stir things up. He was a part of _them_ , they were a part of _him_ , and Wally had never accepted the shared excuse that, “It needs to be this way.”

Wally was terrified of others finding out. He genuinely was. Even in regards to his generous, ever-patient Uncle Barry, he was frightened of the day when he’d ever think of his nephew as a whore. Because that’s the kind of person that did something like this. A _slut_ dated more than one person at once. Only a _whore_ could have sex without being in monogamous love with one partner.

But he was monogamous. He was so monogamous that it made him sick to even think about sleeping with anyone else; he was just monogamous to two individual, different people. He didn’t see anything wrong with that.

But at the same time, he knew everyone else would. And that’s what made him feel like shit.

This isn’t fair. It’s not fair to any of them. He wants to be able to hug Roy when he sees him in public, and he wants for Dick to be able to kiss him, in the same way he could kiss Wally around his friends—despite their annoyed expressions. He wants to be able to talk about their lives, this incredible _life_ they're all building together, without being judged, without feeling like the odd one out, without feeling like a freak that just needed to grow up and get it together.

Because he never wanted to tell that lie, when someone would inevitably find out about Dick’s increasingly noticeable _affair_. That jealous lie that would reassure everyone, “Dick is mine.” Because that bullshit isn’t true at all. Dick is _theirs_.

Sometimes, he tries to breach the subject. In as much of a casual way as he can, such as when he faked ignorance and asked Kaldur and M’gann if they were allowed to marry multiple people in the worlds they came from. Kaldur had deemed it inappropriate, but M’gann had innocently responded that she never thought about it as an option. And before she could say anything else, Artemis had cut in with a rude, “I’m sorry, but you’re gonna have to choose _one_ girl.”

He knew what she was thinking. Wally, the playboy. Wally, the future man-whore.

He just wanted to be Wally, the boyfriend.

Wally, the partner.

-

Roy knows that Wally gets jealous. Even if he’s never mentioned it out loud. It’s all in the subtle signs; when Wally gets impatient because he’s had to wait too long for Dick’s turn to end, or when he happens to mention offhandedly that he wished they could have more time alone.

Roy has little idea of whether or not Wally favors him more, but he doesn’t believe it matters. For all of his complaints, Wally is _deeply_ in love with Dick, and that’s really all he cares about. If his lovers are happy, he’s happy; that’s the bottom line.

But he can’t lie and pretend that he doesn’t like to see Wally showing those familiar signs of jealousy. He’s certain the kid’ll outgrow that with time and inevitable maturity, but for now, it’s… cute.

Sometimes, Wally is painfully cute.

Even when he’s-

-

Caught up in a moment like this. _This._

Holy fuck, what is this. How did this-

Roy. _Roy-_

 _Dick,_ Jesus Christ-

It’s not the first time they’ve done this. It’s not the first they’ve thrown restraint to the wind, and given it a royal sendoff. One hell of a sendoff; moaning, gasping, kissing, touching, stroking-

And every single time, Wally is completely overwhelmed. Every single time, he can’t believe it. He feels guilty; something this good has to be a sin. People shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy _anything_ this much. This is selfish. This is overindulgence.

But it’s so damn amazing. It can’t be _that_ wrong. It can’t be.

His hands cling desperately to the bed frame as he supports himself, fingers clenched tight around the iron bars. His legs are giving out, which is _ridiculous_ because that almost never happens, especially not when he’s already on his knees.

When he leans forward, his face pressed against the wall, he’s breathing heavy and slow, a heavy and slow pant that only grows louder and more anguished as he’s increasingly overwhelmed.

Dick himself is doing _nothing_ to him; right now, it’s all Roy. It’s Roy's mouth swallowing his cock, and it’s Roy’s tongue making magic happen down there—whatever the hell he _is_ doing. But it’s not _just_ about what’s happening to him. Because he’s painfully aware of what’s happening to Dick; right behind him.

The boy is sliding his hands up Wally’s legs, and tracing eager fingers along his inner thighs, which makes him tremble. And even as he can feel the bed move, can feel the bed rock beneath the force of Dick bouncing on top of Roy, even as he can hear Dick’s voice, strained and moaning in pleasure, those playful, insistent hands have not once abandoned his skin.

Wally’s never been the center of attention before. He doesn’t entirely know how to react. Wally’s the one being sucked and— _now_ —Wally’s the lucky one that gets to feel Dick’s eager, painfully eager and erotic fingers dancing towards and sliding inside his ass.

It’s true that Wally has never liked the idea of a cock going up there. But he’s never objected to something smaller, something more flexible, something more-

“ _Hah_ ,” a low sigh is all he can manage, because all the panting is making his chest ache, and Dick’s working his way deeper inside him than he normally does, Roy’s getting busy with his tongue and both of his hands, and he’s feeling conflicted, caught between a desperate want to fuck Roy’s mouth so hard he almost chokes, and the desire to fall back towards Dick, to see just how deep that touch can move.

Another moan from Dick’s increasingly suspended voice, and Roy’s breathing so heavy that Wally starts to feel the hot air against his sensitive skin. His face is tensing up, and his eyes are becoming more disoriented; every time Wally looks down, the expression he sees is less focused than before, and increasingly overwhelmed.

Wally murmurs a quiet, “Do you like this?”

And Roy, as if attempting sarcasm without the ability to freely _talk_ right now, simply glares up at him and traces his teeth along the edge of his foreskin, and with a firm hand, starts to massage his balls suddenly so rough that Wally gasps, in a faint shriek that’s from somewhere between sharp pain and pleasure he wasn’t prepared for. His eyes are rolling back for a moment, as Roy’s hand _doesn’t_ stop. He shows no intention of slowing down at all, and even as Dick’s fingers finally withdraw from his body, he barely notices their absence in the wake of _this_. Roy’s firing up nerves he didn’t realize he had.

For his part, Dick would have loved to continue, but he’s too busy being fucked. He’s losing what little composure he had left, as Roy’s starting to move his legs to help him along, arching up in a slow and rhythmic rise, up and down, up and down, at a steady pace that drives Dick _crazy_. It drives him crazy because it’s more of a tease than anything, a slow, erotic tease that keeps him on the brink of orgasm for far longer than he could ever manage on his own. And he’s sighing, and moaning, and groaning, and borderline _whimpering_ as he’s tempted to beg, to just beg for Roy to pause in his servicing of Wally and fuck him really hard for just _one_ minute, goddammit.

He hates to be jealous. He’s not the type for it. But the truth is that Dick only gets jealous during moments like these.

Wally is about to come; that much is obvious. He’s almost crying, with the noises he’s making. His shoulders are shaking, and he almost seems traumatized; and from what little of Roy that Dick can see around the boy’s body, he’s going to town and then some. He’s licking, he’s touching, he’s fondling, massaging, pressing, twisting, stroking, biting-

The sounds coming from his mouth are _appalling_ ; in a delicious way. Dick has a need for that mouth. He wants a kiss that sounds that guttural, that vulgar, and that obscene.

So when he finally pleads, “ _Roy_ ,” and receives a murmured, quick reply, “What,” he’s done hesitating.

“You almost done there?” a tired whine.

“Shush,” he hastily says, before kissing Wally’s cock with another obscenely loud noise, “Hold on.”

“But you’re just _teasin’_ me,” Dick complains; but he’s not being entirely serious. He doesn’t mean to be a brat. But ordinarily he’d have come by now, and-

But _Wally_. Wally’s not even listening. He’s too far gone. He’s losing it.

By now he’s physically thrusting, his whole body shaking as he hangs his head, almost as if in shame, but certainly from exhaustion. Stress. Tension. Dick catches glimpses of Roy’s hands exploring around between his legs, and he watches in a sort of jealous awe as those fingers slide around, past his balls and towards the ass that he was being so kind to earlier.

And effortlessly, he slides a finger in, promptly following that with another, as Wally starts a new series of “ _Ah_ ”s and “ _ugh_ ”s and even a spare “God,” as he trembles, from his shoulders to his legs; he just _trembles_.

And just like that, he comes. Dick can tell. Because Wally’s voice breaks when he comes really hard, a series of sounds like he’s sobbing to himself. And he just shakes, and shakes, then suddenly falls still; completely still, as his head tilts back and he comes down with a slow sigh.

Dick is fixated on the sight of it; of his entire body tensing, and relaxing like that. It’s the first time, in a great while, that he’s seen him come. That he’s genuinely _watched_ it. Because almost every other time in their history, at this point he’s already finished, and losing interest. Even when he lets Wally fuck him—sweet, gentle Wally—he’s so distracted by trying to achieve his own high that when Wally comes, he’s not necessarily paying it special attention.

God. He’s such a _brat_. Why didn’t anyone tell him earlier-

But there’s no time to think about that now. Even as Wally’s removed himself from Roy, he’s still occupying his mouth, this time with his own tongue, in a surprisingly sensual kiss that makes Dick feel flushed and distracted just by witnessing it happen.

But Roy’s not entirely blind to his plight. So even as he continues to kiss Wally, in that slow and rough kind of way he precisely enjoys, he’s moving his legs again, reaching a hand out, idly reaching towards Dick as the boy takes the hint and starts to move.

And even as he’s kissing Wally, Roy is holding his hand, he’s holding onto him so firmly, holding and pressing that hand against his chest as if to keep him there, as he starts to thrust upwards and in, startling Dick with the sudden increase in speed. Dick is helpless to fight the urge that overtakes him, as, for the first time in a long while, he doesn’t bounce around like a wind-up toy; he _lets_ Roy fuck him. Hard and fast, then slow and deep, hard and fast, and slow and deep; he’s alternating in an entirely new rhythm, and Dick starts to purr in delight. His hands crawl up Roy’s stomach, as he sees Wally break off that kiss, and turn to look at him, almost as if-

Is he jealous-

But instead of doing anything manipulative, spoiled or bratty like _he_ would’ve done, Wally is-  
He’s reaching down; cautiously at first, and then more self-assured, he’s-

Slowly, then faster, with a little more pressure-

Fingers pressed firmly around his bouncing cock, he’s jacking him off. A small smile on his face, like he’s almost nervous, but still excited, still so-

“ _Wally_ ,” Dick pleads with him, “A little faster-”

And Wally complies. And before Dick can say, _Roy, a little harder_ , he seems to read his mind.

When Dick finally comes, he almost cries out loud. He’d found a strange, new beauty in a slow climb to orgasm, a sudden rush and a flash of blinding light behind his eyes.

As he comes down and relaxes again, Wally helps to awaken his senses with a soft kiss to his mouth. “Wally,” Dick says; but he’s not just speaking, he’s asking. His thoughts run in too fast of a blur to be spoken. _How can you be so nice to me, when I almost ruined this for you_ , and _Why did you even help me_ , and-

But Wally doesn’t demand anything from him. He doesn’t expect any explanation. He just kisses him again, with a gentle hand to the side of his face, before he politely crawls back, to give him some space.

And even though they’re moving a _lot_ slower now, Dick comfortably settles in while Roy fucks him until he comes, in a calm, slow sensation that makes his face tense up, and then relax as his eyes close, and he gives a calm smile for no particular reason; a smile that continues to linger, even as Dick crawls off him, and stretches out his arms like they’d been getting sore.

But that’s just it. For Roy, he’s not that crazy about the hard and fast rush, or the desperately overwhelming sensory overload. This is _exactly_ his favorite kind. Slow and steady, at times frantic and other times quiet, and the reassuring, complete exhaustion of his lust. He’s tired enough to fall asleep if he were to lean over too far, but despite that, he continues to alternate kisses and affectionate contact between them, as his lovers lay down on either side of his worn out body. Dick’s giving his usual yawn, like he’s about to sleep, and Wally’s suspiciously wide awake as always. Wally barely ever sleeps; it’s just a part of his nature-

And after Dick passes out, Wally says, in a faint murmur into Roy’s ear, “Thank you.”

“For what,” he responds back, with a slight glance in his direction.

“Putting me first tonight,” Wally acknowledges, before he smiles to himself and lays his face against Roy’s warm chest, chuckling a little as he feels it rise and fall.

Roy hesitates to respond too assuredly, but he does manage a, “Sure,” as he slides his arm across the boy’s shoulders.

Roy’s no fool. He knows Wally gets jealous. He knows Dick gets jealous. He knows there’s never any way to absolutely make both of them equally happy.

But he also knows that they are both understanding, and compassionate. They are each affectionate and considerate. Sometimes he gives more to one than the other. Sometimes he accidentally gives less. Sometimes he even notices them giving more to each other, too. That’s a matter of chance and individual circumstance, so he doesn’t take it personally.

Because no amount of kisses, touches, embraces or words would ever convey exactly how incredibly, and how profoundly he loves them. None.

And given enough time, they would both understand that.

-

In the meantime, there was a more pressing concern to worry about.

Wally is losing it.

He’s genuinely, honestly losing it. He’s losing his willpower; he’s losing his ability to keep his mouth shut.

When Artemis gushes about a particular crush at school, Wally can’t help himself. “I guess you wouldn’t know, being a _virgin_.”

“What,” she laughs. “So are you!” She leans forward, and gives him a dead-in-the-eyes stare, “..Right?”

And just like that, there it is. That sinking feeling. Two reasons. _Oh God I can’t tell them I actually have sex with Dick_ and _I can’t tell them I have sex with Roy_.

So he just shrugs, “I’ve done stuff. It’s not that hard.”

“Yeah, like what?” she pushes him for further comment.

“None of your business,” he snarls.

“Ouch, geez,” she backs away from the harsh response, putting her hands up in the air. “I’m not trying to push your buttons.”

And a sly comment, from some feet away, “Trust me, you don’t want to know about them,” from a sly Dick.

“Ew,” she giggles, as it becomes a cruel-spirited laugh. “Come on! A virgin, having buttons? Who cares?” she shrugs and announces loudly.

“You’re just wrong about that,” Dick tells her.

Wally freezes up. _Don’t._

“What,” the slow realization appears on her face, her eyes widening. Slowly, slowly-

“We’ve done it _lots_ of times.”

Why. _Why, why._

Artemis jaw drops.

Dick, looking quite smug, simply snickers a little and withdraws back into his project, which currently involves taking apart what appears to be leftover wreckage from an old computer. As he gets busy with his screwdriver, Wally and Artemis are staring at him in horror.

“Ew,” is all Artemis says, before she retreats and leaves the room.

It takes Wally _all_ of his willpower, every single ounce of it, to not smack Dick right there, on the spot. “What did you _do_ ,” he whines.

“What was necessary,” he calmly responds, as he snaps off a large metal bar, and sets it down beside him. “You said something dumb, so,” he looks up with a sarcastically wide smile, “I helped.”

“I didn’t mean t-”

“Foot in mouth, _Boy Wonder_ to the rescue,” he snickers.

“Great,” Wally frowns. “Now everyone’s gonna think I’m a pedo.”

“ _Well_ ,” Dick gives him a sideways look.

“God, what would they say about _him_ -”

“ _Don’t_ start that again, please.”

“I mean, I just-”

“Nope.”

“It’s not-”

“Nope,” he shakes his head. “Stop that, right there.” He repositions his legs, crossing them as he shuffles around a little, “We’ve been over this. _And_ they’re just in the next room.”

Wally sighs.

“You know that, right.”

“I’m gonna tell them.”

Dick stares at him; and blinks slowly. “What?”

“I can’t stand this.”

“What? Yes you can,” he says.

“No, really-”

“ _Please_ ,” he whines.

“What difference does it make? You go out in public anyway-”

“Yeah, because I’m not crazy paranoid like you-”

“They’ll see you eventually.” He sighs again, and looks towards the doorway, ominous and dark, “I need to get this over with.”

“Wally-”

“If they’re gonna hate me-“ his eyes fall heavy, “then I’m just gonna let them.”

“Wally, come on- You’re being ridiculous.”

“ _You’re_ one to talk,” he snaps back.

And just like that, a sudden silence. He’s offended him. He didn’t intend to, but the words slipped out…

“I’m just sick of this,” Wally explains one last time. “I’m not happy like this. Okay? I’m not happy.”

“Listen,” Dick says, his voice low and quiet, “It’s not just about us.”

“I know. And that’s why _I’m_ gonna take the blame.” He pauses, and crosses his arms, “All of it.”

“Huh?” a faint sound.

“I fell for you, and I- I cheated on you,” he bows his head.

“Wally, that’s just-”

“It’s true anyway, isn’t it,” he sends him a sharp look. “So let’s just make that our story.”

Dick’s run out of words.

“And you’re young, so… You don’t have anything to worry about. They won’t judge you.”

Dick’s entirely speechless.

And it seems that Wally, too, has exhausted everything he had to say. He’s preparing to leave the room, but the moment he turns away-

Dick raises his objection, phrasing it as adequately as possible. “Are you dense?”

“What?”

“Are you completely dense,” he frowns. “Like, totally?”

“Stopcallingmethat. Why?”

“Because.”

“Because what?”

“ _Because_.” He rises to his feet, as he tosses the screwdriver across the room, where it lands with a low clanging noise.

Startled, Wally jumps back and looks for where the sound came from.

“How can you just talk like that?”

“Like what-”

“Like I wouldn’t even _care_. It’s not about you, Wally,” he reaches up and grabs him around the collar, demanding his careful attention, “It’s not just about you… and Roy.” His voice falls, “It’s about me, too.”

“Dick,” he’s reaching a hand up, even if he’s not sure where it’ll go. But it needs to go _somewhere_. It must go somewhere, it has to touch him somehow-

“And I _won’t_ be okay if I’m the only one that’s not hated.”

“I’m sorry,” a faint murmur, but he’s not sure what for. But at least his hand found its place, settling at the center of his back, pressing flat and sensing his warmth.

“I don’t want anyone to hate you,” he nearly whispers, his voice almost broken, “I love you.” And immediately, as if he’s embarrassed at saying that, he stands back, looking up at Wally for a response.

“Me?” Wally asks, to make sure.

“Yes, you,” Dick responds. “Both of you.”

Wally gives a faint sigh, “I love you too.”

“Me?” in a tiny voice.

“Both of you,” with a slight smile that lingers, even as his eyes are heavy and falling to the floor. “That’s why I can’t do this anymore.”

-

They didn’t fall in love at the same time.

But Dick kissed Wally, Wally kissed Roy, and Roy kissed Dick-

And somehow, they fell. In their own unique ways, they fell.

For each of them, love resonates strongest in different ways. For Dick, it’s a passionate evening in bed, following by hours of pleasant sleep, curled up with your arm draped across your lover. For Wally, it’s a quiet evening together, speaking a pleasant conversation and realizing there’s nothing better in the whole world, than the sound of his lover’s voice. And for Roy, it’s a combination of the above, nights when he can lounge around lazily in front of the television, followed by a round of sex that’s so hot and exhausting it nearly breaks the bed.

But despite their differences, somehow, it always works out. There’s no magic involved. No mystery. Just chemistry, compatibility, and tolerance. Patience. Open-mindedness. A willingness to adapt to change and the pursuit of something new and terrifying and exciting.

And above all, love.

On some days, that’s the only reason it works at all.

-

Wally couldn’t just walk up and spit it out. The opportunity didn’t present itself. And Dick knew what he was intending, so he’d find any chance he could to throw him off-course. Every time Wally mentioned dating, relationships or people _in general_ , Dick would cut in and divert the conversation elsewhere.

Wally believes he should do the right thing. He wants to talk it over with Dick and Roy calmly, to evaluate their stance on everything. But he knows they won’t agree with him; Dick would strive to maintain his perfect image for the sake of not being hassled about anything, and Roy would volunteer to be a martyr. That’s just how they are, so like a stubborn child, Wally’s not saying a damn word beforehand. He’s just going to-

He’s going to kiss Roy; right on the mouth.

Maybe he’ll hold his hand, if the moment’s not right. Something subtle. Something honest.

He’s not looking for drama. But he’s done skirting around. He’s done pretending that every text message that makes him blush is from Dick, even when he’s in the same room. He’s done acting like he’s possessive, worried, or concerned at all when the rumor surfaces that Dick was _maybe_ flirting with someone else on the phone. He’s done acting like there’s only room in his life for one person. He’s fed up with pretending that precious one-half of his entire world doesn’t exist.

And when Roy appears at the Mountain that night, it takes all of his restraint to not run to him, to not kiss him, embrace him, ask him how he is, and what he has planned for them today.

But every time Roy shows up around the Justice crew, he’s almost a different person. He’s serious and stoic, on-target and focused. He talks about work, and the project at hand. A slight wave to Dick when he’s feeling especially friendly, and he’ll vanish, just like that. There’s no kiss. There’s no embrace. No warm jokes. No genuine smiles. No laughter. Because when Roy is here in the Mountain, he’s not the man he is around them. He’s not himself.

As privileged as Wally feels to know that, it makes him feel… hollow. Somber. Disappointed.  
Roy gives his usual sideways glance at him, as he walks in calmly, greeting Dick with a nod of acknowledgment at his welcoming, “Hey!”

Even when Roy’s behaving like this, Dick acts so natural. Wally doesn’t understand; he can’t understand at all. How can he be so calm, when he knows what this man is, and should be like…

Doesn’t he _get_ it, that Roy is putting up a false image-

So Wally does something he genuinely hadn’t planned on. He does something he hadn’t even considered.

He speaks up. But he’s not looking for a fight; quite the opposite.

“How have you been?” he asks, with a wide smile on his face. It’s somewhat forced, and he’s sure Roy knows him well enough to notice that, but the man doesn’t react poorly. He simply nods, “I’m fine.”

“You look tired,” Wally frowns at him, “Were you up all night again?”

“Uh-” for once, Roy is considerably dumbfounded. It’s not enough that they’re both receiving awkward looks right now; but also, that even if Wally is acting weird and so obviously _onto_ something, he’s actually right. He noticed. “I didn’t plan on it.”

“You’ve gotta be more careful,” Wally shakes his head, “Or you’ll fall asleep –”

“ _Ah_ ,” Dick suddenly cuts in, “So how about that weather, ‘ey Wally?”

“What-” even to _Wally_ , Dick’s comment made zero sense. Except that he was trying to- “I’m not saying anything,” Wally shrugs, refusing to give Dick the pleasure of whatever attempt that was. “I’m just saying that _someone_ was taking a snooze last time.”

Dick’s face goes blank, as he stares at him. “Huh?”

And Roy’s looking away awkwardly.

Wally just grins to himself. He didn’t intend to embarrass his boyfriend in this way, but so far, this was working. Progress was _happening_. That anxious look, however vague, was the first sign of Roy’s guard coming down.

“I was just tired,” he cautiously defends himself.

“You fell asleep during a _mission_?” Dick noticeably raises his voice.

Roy pauses; and quietly, carefully, “Yes.”

“How-” Dick’s face contorts into a grimace, an expression that’s more surprising than anything that’s happened so far. Even their friends, however quiet and still they’d fallen, were noticeably distracted by the boy’s sudden anger, as it intensified with every word, “How could you be so irresponsible?”

“What-” Roy’s snarling back.

“ _I_ told you,” he steps forward, glaring up at him with eyes that are somehow intimidating, even from behind his mask, “You’re gonna wear yourself out! You’re gonna pass out, and for _God_ knows how long-” He turns to Wally, “And you _knew_ about this? You didn’t _tell_ me-”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal,” he sighs and puts his hands behind his head, sending Roy a sheepish look with a small voice, “I’m _so_ sorry.”

Even as Dick continues, with still more rage, “Remember the last time you did that? What, time _before_ last now?”

“Yes,” Roy responds hastily, in a firm voice to shut him down.

Wally, speaking hesitant and slow, “Wait…”

“You _remember_ what happened then?”

“Yes-”

“You know, that inconvenient _Oh, I almost died today_ incident?”

Wally’s eyes grow wide. “Almost died-”

“I did not-”

“Well you came damn close!” Dick hisses.

“Okay, what exactly happened…” Wally’s not sure what he’s more frightened of; Dick’s unfiltered rage, or the terribly unsettling thing he just said.

“He fell asleep,” Dick’s crossing his arms, his back stiffening up, “while leaning against a chimney.”

“It was _not_ a chimney,” Roy attempts.

“It was a _fucking_ chimney,” Dick insists. “A fucking chimney, not the goddamn roof, because if it was _just_ the goddamn roof, you wouldn’t have fucking fallen _off_ when you passed out!”

“Di-”

But Roy stops instantly; he just stops. Because he’s looking at Wally, who’s staring at him with wide eyes that speak of fear and something mysterious that he can’t readily identify. Something that’s distressing. Unnecessarily distressing.

 _This_ is why he didn’t tell Wally about that incident.

“Wait,” for the first time in several minutes, it’s someone else’s voice this time. A new one into the mix, the soft and curious murmuring from M’gann, who gently takes a step towards them. “You fell down?”

“I had to catch him,” Dick hisses. “If I hadn’t been there-”

“It was not that high,” Roy offers.

“It was only _three_ stories."

Roy sighs.

“You’re tough shit, but you will die from that height. You will _die_ ,” his words are heavier than a curse.

Roy just shakes his head. He hates this. He doesn’t hate the concern; he hates the attention. This. All of this. Somehow, a perfectly good-intentioned, somewhat confusing conversation with Wally quickly spiraled into something dark and unsettling. And- _Shit, why is he looking at me like that-_

“Wally?” it’s M’gann that breaks the ice, as he remains still and silent, his face gradually becoming more tense. During his thoughtful silence, he idly starts to bite his lip, as his eyes turn glossy, his shoulders falling.

Roy knows what that means. He is genuinely upset. “Nice work, Dick,” he murmurs.

And now, all eyes are on him.

_Dick._

Shit, shit.

-

When Wally does speak, all he manages is, “You could have told me.”

“Why bother,” Roy tries to deflect the subject.

“I’m sorry to intrude,” M’gann ventures in cautiously, wedging herself in between them, “But if something like that happened to Wally, you’d want to know, wouldn’t you?”

“It’s just not a big deal,” Roy insists. He knows he’s telling a straight-up lie, but he hates to see Wally reacting like this-

“I saw you _fall_ ,” Dick snarl, his hands clenched into fists. He idly stares at one of them, as his entire arm shakes. “If I hadn’t been there-”

Wally, in a tiny voice, “Oh my God.”

Roy curses in silence, his mouth uttering a sharp word he puts no sound behind, as he leans away.

“Well then.”

They turn towards that voice, as someone else decides to get involved in the conversation.

“This is turning out to be one _hell_ of a meeting,” Artemis is saying with a sly grin on her face. “And _this_ is why you shouldn’t lie to your friends, Red-”

“His boyfriends,” Wally murmurs.

“-Arro.. huh?” Artemis tilts her head.

But Wally’s not saying it again. He bows his head, feeling too much to adequately collect himself sufficiently enough to talk. It’s an oddly sickening sensation, the kind of dizziness that starts from your stomach and goes right to your head. He’s feeling clever at wedging it in there, but he’s feeling ill from the thought of what he’s just been told.

It’s not even what happened, exactly. It’s that neither of them, neither of his partners, the two people he loved more than anything in the world, felt compelled to tell him that one of them almost _died_. No, that one of them, from his own negligence, almost _killed himself._

He’s shaking. Goddammit…

“What’s going on…?” M’gann asks, almost sounding scared.

“Roy’s dating Wally?” Artemis lifts an eyebrow.

“But I thought Wally was dating Di.. um, Robin-”

And suddenly,

“I’m dating both of them.”

No. _Don’t do this._

Wally knew he’d do this. He _knew_ he’d do this.

_Don’t-_

Roy gives them an honest look, as he visibly shrugs, exaggerating it on purpose. “That’s what’s happening.”

And as a response, no one, not a single soul, says anything back. And for the first time, even Kaldur and Kon-El are listening intently. Everyone is listening.

_I’m sorry._

This isn’t what he wanted at all. He wanted them to know, but not like this-

With himself in such a rotten and miserable state, and God knows what Dick is thinking-

_I’m so sorry._

Waiting for the inevitable backlash, Wally presses his hands together, as if giving a faint prayer.

But the reaction he gets is different from what he was expecting.

“I understand now.”

He looks at her with some hope, even against his better judgment, as M’gann starts to smile.

“I finally understand,” her voice even raises in pitch, as she starts to shake with excitement, “All this time, I thought I was crazy!”

“What,” is the first word Dick has said in _minutes_. Just that.

“I kept noticing something, that- that feeling around you,” she points to Roy, “Your energy is all over the place!”

“What do you…” Roy tilts his head, trying to understand, but not completely capable of deciphering M’gann-speak just yet.

“I could feel the way you felt for them,” she almost giggles, “but I kept thinking it was impossible!” She puts her hands on her hips, “That was not a realistic situation! But ever since Wally asked that question and-” She stops suddenly, “Oh! _Hello Megan_ ,” she sings to herself, “Of course.”

For what it’s worth, no one completely understands her right now, but Artemis is sending her a warm smile, as if she’s genuinely amused.

“You’re his second wife!”

Roy deadpans; his entire face falls blank.

“Because Wally asked what we thought of someone marrying two people, and he was already married to Dick, so that means-” she exclaims, as if solving a grand mystery, “You’re his other wife! Congratulations,” she offers with a smile.

“Psh,” Dick tries to suppress a laugh. But the more he fights it, the sooner it escapes, in a “Ha, ha, _ha_ ,” that evolves into a “hee _hee_ ,” as he puts his hands over his mouth as he can’t stop it from repeating over and over.

“Did I… Am I wrong?” M’gann questions, looking to her teammates for an answer.

Kaldur finally steps in again, to be the voice of reason, given the state of things. He says calmly, “I do not believe you fully understand how a human marriage works, M’gann.”

“What did I miss?” she innocently asks. “They’re together, they’re consenting, they’re in love-” she muses out loud.

“But marriage is a binding contract,” he clarifies. “One that I do not _believe_ all of them are old enough to sign yet.”

“And it’s illegal,” Artemis adds.

“Yes,” he sighs a little, “It is illegal to marry more than one person.”

“Oh,” M’gann acknowledges. “I thought it was weird for them, not… _illegal_. Oh. _Oh_ ,” she looks at Wally, who stares back at her with a wide-eyed expression, as he genuinely has no idea of what to expect at this point. “Is that why you were sad?”

He pauses, and sighs.

Roy looks at him, now experiencing his own moment of genuine confusion.

“I…” he trails off; because he’s not ready to admit _that_ yet.

Thankfully, Dick’s there to save the day, more or less. Somehow. “I think he’s gonna be okay now,” he nudges him in the arm.

But Roy’s still staring at him; he’s barely moved, even to breathe.

Because he’s stuck on that word. _Sad._

“Y-yeah,” Wally hesitantly replies. He believes that, he just… doesn’t feel like he’s out of the woods yet. This is going far better than he’d hoped, but he still feels… scared.

“Don’t worry, Wally,” M’gann reassures him, a gentle hand on his arm, as he looks at her shyly. “Maybe the laws will change…”

“I’m sorry,” Kaldur interrupts politely, “But I don’t believe that’s his problem... exactly.”

“Oh-”

“Are you,” Kaldur frowns at him, and speaks slowly, “ _also_ dating these two people at once?”

Wally just stares at him, a gradual look of despair on his face.

“I did not believe you were capable of such a thing,” he states openly.

Roy suddenly interrupts, defensive instinct kicking in, “Don’t blame him.”

“I will address this with _you_ later,” Kaldur points at him, an uncharacteristic display of rudeness, “for now, I am speaking with Wally.”

Roy accepts that, but he _doesn’t_. He doesn’t back away or down; he remains where is, face agitated, posture stiff and upright, as he keeps a cautious eye on him, to make certain he doesn’t step out of line.

But Kaldur’s concern is not _entirely_ what he expected.

“Are you certain this is the right decision, Wally? With someone like Red Arrow…”

“ _Roy_ ,” he growls. “I have a name.”

“He is a grown adult, and you are still… You are still young, Wally. And this sort of relationship is a very serious, complicated situation...”

Roy tilts his head, considering that in silence.

Wally responds as best he can, “I… I’m fine with it.”

Roy’s eyes shift to look intently at Wally, as the boy comments, a new sense of assurance passing through him, “I know it’s strange, but- It works for me. It works for us.”

“I understand your optimism, Wally. But this does not the change the fact that-”

“I get it, okay,” he smiles bitterly. He nods to himself, “I know he’s too old for me, he’s too old for Dick, and he’s a bad influence.”

And for the first time in a long while, Roy genuinely, absolutely looks away. He’s intentionally broken the contact.

“-Or whatever you’d like to say,” Wally continues. “Whatever you think, it’s probably true.”

All eyes are on him right now. No more sarcastic comments from the gallery. No more feedback from Roy or Dick, either. But that’s okay. He can handle this. He can do this.

“Megan,” he smiles a little, “The reason I was sad, is… Because I’m really lucky. I’m a really lucky guy. I get to date my two best friends in the whole world.” He shrugs slowly, “but I started to get lonely without Roy around,” another slight smile, but there’s no hope in it, only a calm acceptance. “So I wanted you guys to know.”

“Wally,” Kaldur’s frowning at him, “I did not mean to imply that-”

Wally’s closes his eyes deeply, and opens them again, “I appreciate your concern. But I’d appreciate it if you could be happy for me.”

All eyes are on him. All those questions. All this pressure…

But he can handle this. He can handle this.

“Because when I’m not lonely, I’m,” he pauses, pressing his hands together again, his fingers touching tip-to-tip as he looks down at them, “I’m very happy.” He glances up with a faint smile that flickers and shifts like a dancing flame, “and I think I’m old enough to know that.”

For the first time in a great while, Dick steps forward, with a small comment, “You’re such a sap, Wally.”

“I-” he’s not sure of how to defend himself-

“You’re incredible,” but it’s not Dick that says it.

_Roy._

“You’re incredible, and I love you.”

“Roy,” with barely any sound-

There’s a million other things Roy would like to say in this moment, but the only words he can sort out are not _good_ enough and he won’t force them.

But Dick’s less interested in their revelations. “Seriously. You bunch of _saps_ ,” as he shakes his head.

“Ha,” Wally manages a small laugh, as he reaches out and puts an arm around Dick’s shoulders.

“Hey-” because he hates it when Wally does that, because he always acts so smug-

“Mwah,” Wally exaggeratedly kisses him on the forehead, as Dick cringes away from him.

Dick protests as the boy lets go of him, and he says under his breath, “witheveryonestaring,” as he sends him a sharp glare.

“I thought you _liked_ being in public,” Wally suggests.

“But it’s just weird with you,” Dick points out. “You get so _mushy_.”

“Huh,” Wally is not sure whether he should be offended or intrigued.

“You wanna hug and hold hands,” Dick cringes visibly. “Mushy, mushy.”

“But you like holding hands,” Roy murmurs.

“No, I-”

But Wally’s already laughing, “Are you kidding?”

“Wally,” he hisses. He pouts at Roy, “You _said_ you wouldn’t tell him about that.”

“I’m sorry,” with the faint hint of a grin.

“Ha,” Wally’s laughter is finally dying down, “Roy tells me everything.”

“Well,” Dick starts.

“He _should_ , anyway. Roy, tell me everything.”

A blank stare. “….Right now?”

“No, stupid. Later. Always. _You know._ ”

Despite himself, Roy grins a little. “I know.”

“So the next time you fall off a roof or something _equally_ stupid,” he announces, “So help me God, if you don’t tell me the _exact_ minute that happens, I will march to your door and. Kick. Your. Ass.”

Dick whistles.

“You got me?”

“Yeah,” Roy smirks. “But I’d need time to reach my cell…”

“Why wouldn’t you have it?”

“Out saving lives, fighting bad guys-”

“Just get a belt strap for it or something.”

“ _A belt strap_. Really, Wally.”

“Really.”

“It won’t stay on, you realize. It wouldn’t survive one fight…”

“Few things can survive with _you_.”

“You’ve managed.”

“And it has _not_ been easy-”

“Story of my life-”

“ _Our_ life, baby.”

An irritated voice, “Um, guys…”

“I’m not easy enough for you, huh.”

“Never.”

“Guys, seriously…”

“I’ll show you how easy I can be.”

“Maybe we should wait until we’re alone…”

“ **You are**.”

They both pause; Wally’s arms around Roy’s neck, as the man’s firm hands are settled around at his waist. Their faces inches apart, as they turn to look at a somewhat perplexed Dick, who’s staring up at them in a kind of annoyed confusion.

“When you got all _sappy_ , they kinda… left.”

“Ah…” Wally’s eyes widen.

“Seriously,” Dick shakes his head. “You guys..."

“Hm,” Roy tilts his head. “Come here,” as he reaches out, and grabs Dick by the arm, gently tugging him forward.

“What-”

And he promptly kisses him, just like that.

Dick’s expression starts to change, his annoyance shifting into a kind of wonder.

Roy says quietly, “I love you too. You know that, right.”

“Of course,” Dick shrugs, “loveyoutoo.” He steps back, “but I’m uh… gonna see what’s going on over there,” as he points towards the next room, “I might need to answer a few questions.”

“Be there in a minute,” Roy tells him, as the kid’s retreating hastily into the next room.

And the moment he’s gone, he turns back to Wally, kissing him deeply, in a long-awaited exchange of heat, reassurance and shared emotion.

He hadn’t intended to delay this moment between them, but...

Because he could tell when Dick was jealous. He always realized it when he’d been overly kind to one of them, or accidentally slighted the other. Dick would never voice his objection out loud, but he’d act strange, strange and irritable, like when he’d put them down for things that were often not a problem. Things like holding hands with Wally, even when they _both_ knew that Dick loved to hold hands while watching movies, and would even start to kiss them when he got too restless.

Dick was more of a sweetheart than he would ever admit; but admittedly, Roy had also noticed the blush on his face during their episode just now, too. Dick was embarrassed of being too lovey-dovey in front of his friends. Maybe it put a damper on his street cred. Maybe he was just not used to being that relaxed in general.

Dick wasn’t like Wally. Wally wanted nothing more than to hug and kiss and talk sweetly and imply naughty things and unwind, regardless of who was there. For him, this was Heaven. This was his ideal. And Dick would rather find a corner alone, even in public, an _isolated_ place in public, away from curious stares and prying eyes. Dick wanted privacy, because when he loved he loved _honestly_ , and honesty was more difficult for him to appreciate and embrace than Wally had ever known it to be.

Dick wasn’t like Wally. And Wally wasn’t like Dick.

But that was okay.

Roy leans his face against Wally’s neck and kisses him there, with a small sigh.

They each fell in love, in their own different and unique ways. Hard and sudden, gentle and slow. Anxious and accidental. Different beginnings to the same, shared resolution, of a love that was tense, exciting, frustrating, inspiring and beautiful.

And now, everything was completely okay.

It was going to be, somehow.

-

They’re sitting at a table in a fast food joint, scavenging through a vast assortment of burgers, fries, drinks and chicken strips, as if there wasn’t enough meat on the table.

“Geez, leave some for us, Wally,” Dick teases, as he eyes the anxious boy stealing another handful of fries.

“I can’t help it,” he whines.

From there, not a lot of talking happens. It’s a remarkably simple scene; a table of disorganized food, sunlight pouring in from decorated windows with bold lettered slogans stuck across their surfaces, and a crowd gathering at the counter some feet away. A lot of inaudible noise, people with their own lives and their own adventures; they’re too preoccupied with themselves to care about them.

And even the boys, well.

Right now, they’re in their own world.

Roy is idly stroking Wally’s arm, running his fingers lightly across his skin as he watches the crowd; Wally is trying not to blush while he diverts his attention to eating, and Dick is playing footsie with _somebody_ under the table.

Okay; _that_ makes Wally blush for real.

Dick just laughs.

Roy looks back at them, but he doesn’t comment; he’s not sure he wants to know.

For what it’s worth, Dick intends to tell him later, anyway.

And Wally _really_ wishes he wouldn’t bring it up, because Roy already knows enough embarrassing things about what turns him on, anyway. For that matter, both of them do. It makes him anxious.

But there’s something liberating about that, too.

He shakes his empty cup, and frowns at it. He reaches over, picks up Roy’s, and drinks from his straw. Roy frowns at him.

But his only concern is that Wally is going to drink _all_ of it. Because that’s what he does. So slyly, as soon as he sets it down, Roy gently pries it from his fingers, and slides it back over.

“Seriously?” Wally stares at him. “This thing is like.. three dollars.”

“Do you know how much I’ve spent on you, _just_ today,” Roy murmurs.

“That’s the price of _love_ ,” Dick smirks at him. “Well, with somebody like Wally…”

“I heard that.”

“Like you don’t know it’s true, anyway…”

“Yeah, well. At least I don’t steal Roy’s food.”

“What? No way,” he objects.

“I noticed,” another low murmur.

“What? Come on.”

Wally rolls his eyes, “Price of love, blah blah blah.”

“So I’ll go broke,” Roy calmly acknowledges, as he drinks from his much emptier cup, “And I’ll starve.” He smirks, “Thanks guys.”

“We _love_ you,” Dick responds with a half-amused smile on his face.

Roy’s smirk becomes a grin, “I know.”

But that is a complete understatement.

He returns to trailing his fingers along Wally’s arm, and with his other hand, he reaches across the table a little ways, to hold Dick’s hand.

“You sap,” the boy says quietly, a near-whisper.

“I know,” and a small smile.

The situation hadn’t worked itself out. The team was tense. Their friends were treating them differently, as if they weren’t sure how to react. Wally was sensitive to comments that criticized his partners. Dick was frustrated at being reminded of his age. And Roy did all he could to stay out of the whole mess, because he knew that if he let himself get upset and worked up, he’d either hit someone in the face, or he’d end up shunned from their group, this time from _their_ will.

So no, that was not okay. It was somewhat messy.

But in between those rough days, they had afternoons, mornings and nights like these. Just the three of them, gradually discovering what it was like to relax, even if just a little. Just the three of them, learning that you could do something no one really approved of, and still find joy in it, and that even the worst remarks and insults and questions and concerns were really not that bad.

Because as startled and alarmed as their team was, each and every one of them loved them, in some way or form. They were upset because they cared. They were confused because they wanted to understand. They got anxious and worried because they genuinely wanted _them_ to be okay.

They were more than okay. And in time, everyone would understand that.

Because love had that kind of power. It could change your entire perspective. It could shake you up, and make you think, and make you feel something different than ever before.

Even a tiny thought, like when M'gann pulled him aside and whispered to him, "I believe you."

 _I like them both, exactly the same._ That's what he'd said.

That small sparkle of hope.

"I believe you."


End file.
